Buying Used Trucks for Export: What to Inspect

Engine hours, frame cracks and gearbox syncros — the three things that decide the price.

2026-06-15

Ask for the engine hour meter, not the odometer. A truck that idled for two years in a queue shows low kilometres and high hours.

Look at the frame behind the cab and above the rear axle for cracks. A repaired crack is acceptable if it was drilled and welded properly; a painted-over crack is not.

Drive it cold. A gearbox that crunches into second when cold needs synchros, and that is an engine-out job on some models.

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